1,000 Pack Hangar To Say Goodbye To Soldiers

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- With the Fourth of July fresh on people's minds, a departure ceremony was held Sunday for another group of Indiana soldiers bound for an Iraq mission.

The National Guard's 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, based in Shelbyville, is sending 138 soldiers to Fort Sill, Okla., for intense training, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

After that training, the soldiers are bound for Balad, Iraq, near Baghdad. The soldiers are expected to help with Medevac flights and other missions to support troops already in Iraq.

"We in Indiana have deployed over 16,000 since 9-11, and … the 138 we're saying goodbye to today, I would bet you several of those are on their second and third rotation," said Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Indiana's adjutant general.

It was a tough departure for about 1,000 friends and family members of the soldiers who packed a helicopter hangar to see them off, but communication is much better, in general, than in years past.

"Vietnam guys had to write letters and hope they got home," said Sgt. Chuck Hardesty. "The newer generation has the computer. So, it's about as close to being home as possible without being home."

Nearly 70 percent of the unit, which has members from five states, is currently deployed. The soldiers are expected to return home within a year.